Letters to the Editor: Followers can’t pick, choose scripture

September 5, 2006

Leonard Pitts may be a genial person with whom a conversation would be enjoyable. His newspaper editors apparently consider him to have a way with words.
Yet, he lacks sufficient understanding to write about biblical interpretation (Aug. 30 CNJ).

He points to a church he assumes is applying scripture accurately only when some people find it advantageous. Certainly that is wrong (Romans 12:9). However, their error does not justify the same error when preached by Pitts.

He argues we should not apply all scripture in a literal sense, then uses several examples from the law of Moses most would not want to follow today. But the cross removed the law of Moses from governing our life, worship, or salvation (Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 10:9, etc.).

We would not follow Pitts’ examples, but because it is God’s choice — not ours or his.
Jesus said we may only call him Lord if we do all he says (Luke 6:46). If I follow Pitts, then he is my Lord. That is probably the last thing he really wants.

The scripture is of little use if everyone can just choose to obey what is convenient according to current culture or whims. Christ demands we universally interpret, live by and accept his judgment — period (John 12:48). In Pitts’ point about I Timothy 2:11-14 he is as guilty of error as the church he condemns.

Christians must understand God has spoken, not suggested (Hebrews 1:1-3). We are endangered, not just mistaken, if we ignore what Christ says (Hebrews 2:1-4). Therefore, we must listen, trust and obey all he speaks for this era (Hebrews 12:25). This requires that we accurately interpret scripture, whether it applies to us or others.

Jim Gammon
Clovis

Get involved, don’t complain from sidelines
I have to respond to Kirby Rowan’s letter in Sunday’s CNJ (“Bush administration must be stopped”).

Here is a man who has lost touch with reality and is obviously driven by partisan opinions. Sure, there are a lot of things that may be criticized in the current administration, but this would be true regardless of which party were in power. This is a fact of politics.

But to state that the government is doing “illegal and immoral” things is ridiculous. And to rant on that this nation is “an imperialist conquering nation” begins to sound fanatical at best. This is borne out by his closing comments.

Rowan needs to get a grip on himself. We are a democratic nation governed by people we elect. Don’t like what you’re seeing? Don’t rant and rave and go off the deep end. Be a patriot. Do something about it. Work for the political party of your choice. Campaign for the candidates you think will fix the problems. Get personally involved in the community. Get out there and vote.

If we all do our parts in this regard, we can make a difference come November and again in 2008.

This nation is the greatest nation on God’s green earth (to borrow some else’s tag line). We enjoy freedoms and privileges, which have been defended to the death by our military. Because of them we have the right to say anything we want, but we should make our words count. That letter fell short of this.